hi guys...
im ready to put my tank together, i bought salt and sand, this weekend im getting the rock...
from what i heard i'm supposed to mix the salt and the water first, then throw in the sand and the rock.

my question is what is the best way?
- should i put the salt in the tank and then add water and mix it in there?
- should i put the salt and the water in a bucket, mix it, and then put it in the tank?

what goes first? the sand or the rock?

usmc121581

12-01-2006 09:29 AM

As for mixing the salt with the water. You can do it with a brand new trash can. You can mix the salt and water that way. Or the most recent way I've seen people do is mix it in the tank with nothing in there. You don't want nothing in there because the salt my settle on the rocks are in the sand when your tring to mix it.

As for what you should add first if its argonite you will want to rinse it real good before putting in as the depris that is left in the sand will float around in the good water. I best way I heard to do it is stack the rock first then add the sand that way there will be no dead spots in the sand. If you have trouble doing it this way you can add the sand then start to stack the rock work, the sand will give stability to your rock work while your stacking.

pescao

12-01-2006 09:37 AM

you think that i should rinse the sand??? that stuff (aragonite) came in bags, with deadlines and everything...

i read that what i should clean is the rock...

but let me ask you: how would you add the sand so that it wont harm the living things in the rock?

usmc121581

12-01-2006 10:06 AM

If its live sand you do not need to rinse but the argonite you will because they is a powdery film on the particles. If you were just to add the sand without cleaning it first you would have a cloudy tank for a while, and every time you touch the sand you will kick up some more and the tank will get cloudy. Don't worry the sand will not harm the living things on the rock.

Quote:

with deadlines and everything

What do you mean by this?

Quote:

i read that what i should clean is the rock

If the rock is live rock its good to cure it, most LFS that I go to get the rock cured already, some fish stores will cure the rock themselves or won't do anything with it. Ask if the rock is cured or not. If its not its good to do it before putting in your tank. Also look for black spots on the live rock this is a indicaytion that that part of the rock is not living anymore. Take a wire brush and brush it off because that spot could raise your ammonia, also when picking out rock make sure it doesn't smell like death, this could be very bad for the tank.

pescao

12-01-2006 10:53 AM

OK
The sand is live sand.
The rock I think it is cured, but since the tank is new i guess i'll cure it in the tank...
thank you for the answers...

another thing... how do i get the hang-on overflow box to work? i mean how do i get the water in the box inside the tank to flow into the box outside the tank and then into the wet/dry??? i have a curved tube, but i got no idea how to make this thing work...

usmc121581

12-01-2006 02:39 PM

Take a piece of air hose and insert it into the u tube and suck the air out. When the water starts to flow remove the tube. But do not let air back through the air tube or it will stop.

pescao

12-01-2006 03:26 PM

nice!!!
i got it, i'll try tonight.
thank you man...

didn't i have to drill a hole in that tube to prevent an overflow??

Melissa

12-01-2006 04:26 PM

drilling a hole in that curved tube will stop the syphen from working.

usmc121581

12-01-2006 06:17 PM

Not in the curved tube, but in the PVC pipe coming back from your sump.